Patent Application
20060246823
This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 with respect to Japanese Application No. 2005-131105 filed on Apr. 28, 2005, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coolant supply method and apparatus for intercepting an air layer rotating to follow a grinding wheel end surface to supply coolant of a sufficient volume to a grinding point in a grinding machine which grinds an end surface of a workpiece with a grinding wheel end surface of the grinding wheel.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In a grinding machine having a grinding wheel drivingly rotatably supported on a wheel head and a workpiece drivingly rotatably supported on a workpiece support device, it is often the case that the wheel head is advanced toward the workpiece support device with coolant being supplied to a grinding point so that both ends surfaces of the grinding wheel respectively grind both end surfaces of a ground portion taking the shape of a concave groove on the workpiece and the circumferential surface of the grinding wheel then grinds a cylindrical external surface of the workpiece. In this case, the rotation of the grinding wheel causes air layers rotate to follow the grinding wheel end surfaces, and the air layers obstruct the flows of the coolant along the grinding wheel end surfaces to make the coolant supply to grinding points insufficient. For this reason and due to the fact that contact areas increase at the grinding points where the grinding wheel end surfaces each being flat are brought into contact respectively with the workpiece end surfaces, each of the workpiece end surfaces would suffer grinding burns during the grinding operation.
Japanese unexamined, published patent application No. 2004-17265 (equivalent: U.S. Pat. No. 6,921,321) describes a device for intercepting air layers rotating to follow a grinding wheel. Referring now to the drawings of the Japanese application, in order to prevent air layers which rotate together with a grinding wheel G to follow both end surfaces 23a, 23b of the same from reaching grinding points, the device is constructed to obliquely eject air jets 29, 29 respectively toward both end surfaces 23a, 23b of the grinding wheel G, wherein each of the air jets 29, 29 is ejected from a point 26, which is on a grinding wheel circumferential edge on an upstream side of a corresponding grinding point P, along the chord of a small arc section 27 on the grinding wheel front side including the grinding point P. The device is also provided with an air interception plate 31 which faces the both end surfaces 23a, 23b of the grinding wheel G with a slight clearance therebetween.
Further, there has also been known a right-angle nozzle type device shown in
In the wheel follow air layer intercepting device described in the aforementioned Japanese application, the position where the air interception plate 31 is mounted has to be far from the grinding points P to avoid the interference of the air interception plate 31 with the workpiece W, so that there cannot be attained a substantial effect of the air interception plate 31 in intercepting the air layers. Thus, the flow volume of each air jet 29 has to be increased for the substantial effect, thereby resulting in the massive air consumption.
In the aforementioned right-angle nozzle type device, it is intended to intercept the air layers 40 rotating to follow the grinding wheel end surfaces by the coolant flows which are ejected from the first and second nozzles 41, 42 at right angles toward the grinding wheel end surfaces and hence, to let the coolants cling onto the grinding wheel end surfaces. However, since the first and second nozzles eject the coolant flows toward the grinding wheel end surfaces at right angles, the splashing of the coolant wide spreads, and in addition, each coolant flow ejected toward the corresponding grinding wheel end surface at the second position adversely intercepts the coolant flow which has clung onto the corresponding grinding wheel end surface at the first position, so that the flow volume of the coolant rotating to follow each grinding wheel end surface becomes insufficient at the grinding point.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved coolant supply method and apparatus capable of supplying coolant of a sufficient volume to a grinding point where a grinding wheel end surface grinds a workpiece end surface, without being obstructed by an air layer rotating to follow a grinding wheel and of being low in cost and simple in construction.
Briefly, according to the present invention, there is provided a coolant supply method for a grinding machine wherein a grinding wheel rotatably carried on a wheel head and a workpiece supported on a workpiece support device are relatively moved to grind an end surface of the workpiece with a grinding wheel end surface of the grinding wheel with coolant being supplied to a grinding point therebetween. The method comprises the steps of providing first and second nozzles for respectively ejecting first and second coolant flows toward a first position which is on the grinding wheel end surface on an upstream side of the grinding point, and a second position which is on the grinding wheel end surface and which is closer to the grinding point than the first position; ejecting the first coolant flow from the first nozzle in a direction which is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the grinding wheel end surface when viewed in a direction parallel to a plane including the rotational axes of the grinding wheel and the workpiece, to intercept a follow air layer on the grinding wheel end surface by the first coolant flow; and ejecting the second coolant flow from the second nozzle in a direction which is inclined at a smaller predetermined angle than the inclination angle of the first coolant flow relative to the grinding wheel end surface when viewed in the direction parallel to the plane, to make the second coolant flow cling onto the grinding wheel end surface at the second position where the follow air layer has been intercepted by the first coolant flow.
With this construction, when the end surface of the workpiece is ground with the grinding wheel end surface of the grinding wheel with coolant being supplied toward the grinding point, the first coolant flow ejected toward the first position which is on the grinding wheel end surface on the upstream side of the grinding point, intercepts the air layer rotating to follow the grinding wheel end surface. Thus, the second coolant flow ejected toward the second position which is on the grinding wheel end surface and which is closer to the grinding point than the first point, is made to cling onto the grinding wheel end surface at the second position where the follow air layer has been intercepted by the first coolant flow, and a thick layer of the coolant can be formed on the grinding wheel end surface. Therefore, the coolant of a sufficient volume can be supplied to the grinding point where the grinding wheel end surface grinds the end surface of the workpiece. This advantageously results in enhancement of the cooling efficiency at the grinding point, the suppression of the thermal expansion of the workpiece being ground and a substantial reduction of the grinding resistance which is generated when the grinding wheel end surface grinds the workpiece end surface. As a consequence, it can be realized to grind the workpiece end surface efficiently and precisely without the workpiece end surface suffering grinding burns.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a coolant supply device for a grinding machine wherein a grinding wheel rotatably carried on a wheel head and a workpiece supported on a workpiece support device are relatively moved to grind an end surface of the workpiece with a grinding wheel end surface of the grinding wheel with coolant being supplied to a grinding point therebetween. The device comprises first and second nozzles for respectively ejecting first and second coolant flows toward a first position which is on the grinding wheel end surface on an upstream side of the grinding point, and a second position which is on the grinding wheel end surface and which is closer to the grinding point than the first position. The first nozzle is arranged to incline the ejection direction of the first coolant flow at a predetermined angle relative to the grinding wheel end surface when viewed in a direction parallel to a plane including the rotational axes of the grinding wheel and the workpiece, to intercept a follow air layer on the grinding wheel end surface by the first coolant flow, and the second nozzle is arranged to incline the ejection direction of the second coolant flow at a smaller predetermined angle than the inclination angle of the first coolant flow relative to the grinding wheel end surface when viewed in the direction parallel to the plane, to make the second coolant flow cling onto the grinding wheel end surface at the second position where the follow air layer has been intercepted by the first coolant flow.
With the construction in the second aspect of the present invention, the first coolant flow ejected from the first nozzle toward the first position which is on the upstream side of the grinding point, intercepts the air layer rotating to follow the grinding wheel end surface. Thus, the second coolant flow ejected from the second nozzle toward the second position which is closer to the grinding point than the first point, is made to cling onto the grinding wheel end surface at the second position where the follow air layer has been intercepted by the first coolant flow. Therefore, the coolant of a sufficient volume can be supplied to the grinding point. Accordingly, the coolant supply device which is capable of grinding the workpiece end surface efficiently and precisely can be provided in a low cost and in a simplified construction.
The foregoing and other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention may readily be appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the preferred embodiment of the present invention when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate the same or corresponding parts throughout several views, and in which:
Hereafter, a coolant supply method and apparatus in one embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Referring now to
A wheel guard 21 for covering the grinding wheel G is fixed to the wheel head 11. The wheel guard 21 has fixed thereto a pair of first nozzles 26 for respectively ejecting first coolant flows 24 toward first positions 22 which are on the grinding wheel end surfaces Ga, Gb on the upstream side of the grinding points P in the rotational direction of the grinding wheel G. The wheel guard 21 has also fixed thereto a pair of second nozzles 27 for respectively ejecting second coolant flows 25 toward second positions 23 which are on the grinding wheel end surfaces Ga, Gb on the upstream side of the grinding points P in the rotational direction of the grinding wheel G and which are closer to the grinding points P than the first positions 22. Further, the wheel guard 21 has also fixed thereto a third nozzle 30 for ejecting a third coolant flow 29 toward the grinding point P on the circumferential surface Gp of the grinding wheel G. These first through third nozzles 26, 27 and 30 are fluidly connected to a coolant supply unit 31.
As shown in
As shown in
The flow rate and flow volume of each first coolant flow 24 are set to be smaller than or equal to those of each second coolant flow 25. Where the flow rate and flow volume of each first coolant flow 24 are set to relatively small flow rate and flow volume of the degree that enables the air layers 28 following the grinding wheel end surfaces Ga, Gb to be intercepted, the splashing of the coolant can be further prevented.
(Operation)
The operation of the embodiment as constructed above will be described hereafter. When the workpiece W is supported between the both centers of the work head 20 and the foot stock (not shown) and is rotated, the table 17 is moved by the servomotor 14 in the Z-axis direction to index the ground portion Ws to a position where the ground portion Ws faces the grinding wheel G. A motor (not numbered) of the coolant supply unit 31 is started to drive a pump (not numbered), and thus, coolants are supplied from the first through third nozzles 26, 27 and 30 toward the both grinding wheel end surfaces Ga, Gb and the circumferential surface Gp of the grinding wheel G. The wheel head 11 is then advanced by the servomotor 12 at an end surface grinding feed rate, whereby the both end surfaces Wa, Wb of the workpiece W are ground at the grinding points P with the both grinding wheel end surfaces Ga, Gb of the grinding wheel G rotating at a high speed. Upon termination of the grindings on the both end surfaces Wa, Wb, the wheel head 11 is further advanced at rough and fine grinding feed rates in succession, whereby the cylindrical external surface Wp of the workpiece W is ground roughly and then finely at the grinding point P with the cylindrical surface Gp of the grinding wheel G. The grinding infeed of the wheel head 11 is then discontinued to perform a spark-out grinding on the cylindrical external surface Wp.
During the foregoing grinding operation or particularly, at least during the foregoing grinding step for the workpiece end surfaces Wa, Wb, the first coolant flow 24 from each first nozzle 26 is ejected in the direction which is inclined at the predetermined angle in the range of 45 through 75 degrees relative to the grinding end surface Ga or Gb corresponding thereto when viewed in the direction parallel to the plane including the rotational axes of the grinding wheel G and the workpiece W and which is also inclined at the predetermined angle in the range of 90 through 120 degrees relative to the grinding end surface Ga or Gb corresponding thereto when viewed in the direction normal to the plane including the rotational axes of the grinding wheel G and the workpiece W. Each first coolant flow 24 is blown against the first position 22 on the upstream side of the grinding point P on the corresponding grinding wheel end surface Ga or Gb. Thus, the air layers 28 rotating to follow the grinding wheel end surfaces Ga and Gb can be intercepted by the first coolant flows 24.
Further, the second coolant flow 25 from each second nozzle 27 is ejected in the direction which is inclined at the smaller predetermined angle in the range of 15 through 30 degrees than the inclination angle of the first coolant flow 24 relative to the grinding end surface Ga or Gb corresponding thereto when viewed in the direction parallel to the plane including the rotational axes of the grinding wheel G and the workpiece W. Each second coolant flow 25 is blown against the second position 23 which is closer to the grinding point P on the corresponding grinding wheel end surface Ga or Gb than the first position 22. Thus, the second coolant flow 25 from each second nozzle 27 can cling onto the corresponding grinding wheel end surface Ga or Gb at the second position 23 where the follow air layer 28 has been intercepted by the first coolant flow 24 and forms a thick layer of coolant on the corresponding grinding wheel end surface Ga or Gb. Accordingly, the coolants of a sufficient volume can be respectively supplied to the grinding points P where the respective grinding wheel end surfaces Ga, Gb grind the respective end surfaces Wa, Wb of the workpiece W. This advantageously results in enhancement of the cooling efficiency at each grinding point P, the suppression of the thermal expansion of the workpiece W being ground and the reduction by forty (40) percents or so of the grinding resistance which is generated when the grinding wheel end surfaces Ga, Gb grind the workpiece end surfaces Wa, Wb. As a consequence, it can be realized to grind the workpiece end surfaces Wa, Wb efficiently and precisely without the both end surfaces Wa, Wb of the workpiece W suffering grinding burns.
That is, according to the aforementioned embodiment, since the second coolant flows 25 ejected from the second nozzles 27 toward the second positions 23 which are closer to the grinding points P than the first positions 22, are made to cling onto the grinding wheel end surfaces Ga, Gb at the second positions 23 where the follow air layers 28 have been intercepted by the first coolant flows 24, the coolants of the sufficient volume can be supplied to the grinding points P. Accordingly, the coolant supply device which is capable of grinding the workpiece end surfaces Wa, Wb efficiently and precisely can be provided in a low cost and in a simplified construction.
Further, since the angle which each second coolant flow 25 makes with the corresponding grinding wheel end surface Ga or Gb is set in the range of 15 through 30 degrees, the second coolant flows 25 are made to cling onto the grinding wheel end surfaces Ga, Gb smoothly and reliably, so that it becomes realized to supply the coolants of the sufficient volume to the grinding points P on the grinding wheel end surfaces Ga, Gb.
Further, since the angle which each first coolant flow 24 makes with the corresponding grinding wheel end surface Ga or Gb is set in the range of 45 through 75 degrees, the first coolant flows 24 can reliably intercept the follow air layers 28 on the grinding wheel end surfaces Ga, Gb, and some parts of the first coolant flows 24 can cling thereto to be conveyed to the grinding points P.
Furthermore, since when viewed in the direction parallel to the rotational axis of the grinding wheel G, each first coolant flow 24 and each second coolant flow 25 are ejected respectively in the normal direction and the tangential direction with respect to the grinding wheel G, the first coolant flows 24 can intercept the follow air layers 28 on the grinding wheel end surfaces Ga, Gb with the splashing thereof being suppressed, and the second coolant flows 25 can smoothly cling onto the grinding wheel end surfaces Ga, Gb at the second positions 23 where the follow air layers 28 have been intercepted by the first coolant flows 24.
Still furthermore, since when viewed in the direction perpendicular to the plane including the rotational axes of the grinding wheel G and the workpiece W, the angle which each first coolant flow 24 makes with the corresponding grinding wheel end surface Ga or Gb is set in the angular range of 90 through 120 degrees, the first coolant flows 24 can intercept the follow air layers 28 on the grinding wheel end surfaces Ga, Gb with the splashing thereof being suppressed.
Although the foregoing embodiment is described as being practiced in a grinding machine of the type wherein the grinding wheel G has the both end surfaces Ga, Gb extending perpendicular to the cylindrical surface Gp, it may also be practiced in an angle slide grinding machine wherein the rotational axis of an angle grinding wheel extends inclined relative to the foregoing Z-axis and wherein a truing device is able to form both end surfaces of the grinding wheel in parallel to the foregoing X-axis and a circumferential surface of the grinding wheel in parallel to the foregoing Z-axis. In this modification, each of the foregoing first coolant flows 24 and each of the foregoing second coolant flows 25 are ejected from the foregoing first and second nozzles 26, 27 toward the foregoing first and second positions 22, 23 on each end surface of the angle grinding wheel.
Moreover, although the foregoing embodiment is described as being of the type wherein the both end surfaces Wa, Wb of the workpiece W are ground with the both end surfaces Ga, Gb of the grinding wheel G at a time, it may be practiced as being of another type wherein one end surface Wa or Wb only of the workpiece W is ground with the grinding wheel G or wherein they are ground individually at different times.
Obviously, numerous further modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-131105 | Apr 2005 | JP | national |
